Townapedia
Ankeny Iowa 20080104 City Hall
Ankeny Iowa 20080104 City Hall · Ashton B Crew, CC BY-SA 3.0
Ankeny, United States (Unsplash)
Ankeny, United States (Unsplash) · Madi Robson madelinmack, CC0
Paul J and Ida Trier House
Paul J and Ida Trier House · Cubsftw, CC BY-SA 3.0
House Behind The Pine
House Behind The Pine · Harrison Griess, CC0
Carol Paul (6636741699)
Carol Paul (6636741699) · Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
Jeb Bush (23982933819)
Jeb Bush (23982933819) · Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ankeny, Iowa

Ankeny is a city of 72,615 people in Polk County, Iowa, founded in 1854.

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Population72,615 +17.2% since 2019
CountyPolk County
Elevation909 ft 277 m
Founded1854
Land area35.5 sq mi
ZIP codes50021, 50023
Nearest airportDes Moines International Airport (DSM) 14 mi

Why visit Ankeny

Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 71 parks and trails, 139 places to eat, 23 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.

Highlights include Big Creek Schoolhouse, Camp Dodge Pool District, Cherry Glen Greenway and Ankeny Golf and Country Club.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 25 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Ankeny

Ankeny (, ) is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States and a suburb of the state capital of Des Moines. The population was 67,887 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 77,833 in 2025, making it Iowa's fifth-most populous city. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of Iowa's fastest-growing cities.

From the Wikipedia article Ankeny, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do1

B&B Theatres

Cinema and theater · 1.6 mi

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Museums and landmarks10

Big Creek Schoolhouse

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi

Rathaus in Iowa, United States of America

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Camp Dodge Pool District

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.1 mi

Historic district in Iowa, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Paul J. and Ida Trier HouseCC BY-SA 3.0

Paul J. and Ida Trier House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.7 mi

Historic house in Iowa, United States

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Ankeny Art Center

Museum · 1.3 mi

1520 Southwest Ordnance Road, Ankeny

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Ankeny Historical Museum

Museum · 0.4 mi

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Ankeny Veteran's Memorial

Monument and historic site

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Eric Jacobs Memorial

Monument and historic site · 0.9 mi

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Fallen Soldier Memorial Plaza

Monument and historic site · 2.8 mi

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Iowa Military Aviation Heritage Museum/Exec 1 South Hanger

Museum · 3.2 mi

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Shelly Dunham Memorial

Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi

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Parks, trails and playgrounds71

Cherry Glen Greenway

Park · 3.2 mi

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Ankeny Golf and Country Club

Golf course · 2.3 mi

314 S.W. Irvinedale Drive, Ankeny

Open in Google Maps · +1-515-964-3721

Des Moines Driving Range

Golf course · 4.8 mi

2944 Northeast 66th Avenue, Des Moines

Open in Google Maps · +1 515-289-1703

Woodland Hills Golf Course

Golf course · 3.8 mi

620 Northeast 66th Avenue, Des Moines

Open in Google Maps · +1 515-289-1326

Heritage Park

Park · 1.4 mi

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Briarwood Club of Ankeny

Golf course · 1.6 mi

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Cascade Falls Aquatic Center

Sports field and stadium · 2.3 mi

2350 Southwest Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny

Open in Google Maps · +15159633569

Cottonwood Recreation Area

Park · 4.9 mi

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Diamond Hills Greenway

Park · 2.9 mi

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Four Mile Creek Greenbelt

Hiking and trails · 2.3 mi

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Four Mile Creek Greenbelt

Hiking and trails · 2.8 mi

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Midway Park

Park · 1.3 mi

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59 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes139

Cabaret Ankeny

Bar and pub · American · 1.4 mi

2785 North Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny

Su-We 11:00-24:00; Th-Sa 11:00-02:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-515-965-5423

Cold Stone Creamery

Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.8 mi

1631 Southwest Main Street, Ankeny

Mo-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr 12:00-23:00; Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-515-264-5565

Dough Co Pizza

Restaurant · Pizza · 2.4 mi

2405 Southwest White Birch Drive, Ankeny

Mo-Su 11:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +15152141131

Flavory Bistro

Restaurant · Greek · 1.7 mi

1450 Southwest Vintage Parkway, Ankeny

Tu-Sa 11:00-15:00,17:00-20:30; Su 11:00-14:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-515-443-7272

Grimaldi's Pizzeria

Restaurant · Pizza · 1.8 mi

1450 Southwest Vintage Parkway, Ankeny

Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr 11:00-23:00; Sa 09:00-23:00; Su 09:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +15156351038

Main Street Cafe & Bakery

Restaurant · Burger, Coffee Shop · 2.5 mi

2510 Southwest White Birch Drive

Mo-Su 06:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 515 964 7141

Olive Garden

Restaurant · Italian · 2.2 mi

770 Southeast Oralabor Road, Ankeny

Mo-Su 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-23:00

Open in Google Maps · +15159640511

Operating Room

Bar and pub · 1.7 mi

Bar serving cocktails and with providing patrons a variety of arcade games and pinball machines.

1631 Southwest Main Street, Ankeny

Mo-Sa 11:00-01:00; Su 11:00-24:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-515-289-0051

Pizza Hut

Restaurant · Pizza

701 North Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny

Mo-Su 10:00-02:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 515-964-1174

Portofino's

Restaurant · Italian, Pizza · 0.7 mi

711 South Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny

Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 515 630 0182

Silk Elephant

Restaurant · Thai · 2.4 mi

2410 Southwest White Birch Drive, Ankeny

Mo-Su 11:00-14:00,16:30-20:00

Open in Google Maps · +15159641848

TJ's Bagels

Restaurant · Breakfast

127 North Ankeny Boulevard, Ankeny

Mo-Su 06:00-20:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-515-965-1004

127 more on the map.

History

Ankeny was founded as an agrarian community on April 22, 1875, by John Fletcher Ankeny and Sarah "Sally" Ankeny (née Wolgamot) on 80 acres purchased on July 11, 1874, for $1,600. The town, a single square mile, was formally incorporated on February 28, 1903.

In 1881, the town of Ankeny consisted of seven houses, a Methodist Church, a depot, a combination store/post office, livery stable, a blacksmith shop, rooming house, machine shop, and a school. There was no delivery of mail in the area at this time, and newspapers arrived in town on the train every Friday.

The railroad was eventually laid from Des Moines to Ames via Ankeny. It was completed in 1874 and passenger service was established on July 11, 1880. In the 19th century, the city's industry was primarily agriculture—specifically sorghum and swine production. Sorghum was processed at a nearby mill, while swine were driven to the market in Keokuk.

From the History section of Ankeny, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay23

Churches and places of worship31

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Shopping21

Gas and EV charging27

Schools, colleges and libraries40

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Healthcare14

Map of Ankeny

250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

20°40°60°80°January: 1.0 in of rainFebruary: 1.0 in of rainMarch: 2.0 in of rainApril: 4.0 in of rainMay: 5.3 in of rainJune: 5.4 in of rainJuly: 4.2 in of rainAugust: 4.7 in of rainSeptember: 3.6 in of rainOctober: 2.7 in of rainNovember: 1.9 in of rainDecember: 1.4 in of rainJanuary: 30°FFebruary: 34°FMarch: 47°FApril: 61°FMay: 72°FJune: 82°FJuly: 86°FAugust: 84°FSeptember: 77°FOctober: 64°FNovember: 48°FDecember: 35°FJanuary: 12°FFebruary: 16°FMarch: 27°FApril: 38°FMay: 50°FJune: 61°FJuly: 65°FAugust: 62°FSeptember: 53°FOctober: 40°FNovember: 29°FDecember: 18°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan30°F12°F1.0 in6.2 in
Feb34°F16°F1.0 in8.0 in
Mar47°F27°F2.0 in3.7 in
Apr61°F38°F4.0 in0.7 in
May72°F50°F5.3 in0.0 in
Jun82°F61°F5.4 in0.0 in
Jul86°F65°F4.2 in0.0 in
Aug84°F62°F4.7 in0.0 in
Sep77°F53°F3.6 in0.0 in
Oct64°F40°F2.7 in0.6 in
Nov48°F29°F1.9 in1.0 in
Dec35°F18°F1.4 in4.5 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ankeny (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$108,198median household income
$331,000median home value
$1,319median monthly rent
33.6median age
52.1%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
71.3%of homes are owner-occupied
21.1 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1827%18 to 3425%35 to 6436%65 and over12%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Polk County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.

  • 2026-09-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
  • 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
  • 2024-05-14: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Tornado)
  • 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
  • 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.

  • Saylorville 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
  • Elkhart 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
  • Alleman 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
  • Johnston 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
  • Polk City 7 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
  • Altoona 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
  • Bondurant 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
  • Pleasant Hill 10 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
  • Des Moines 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
  • Ames 20 mi north, about 33 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.